By Ernie Gonzalez (
San Jose State (1-10, 0-6 MW) will be on the road for the final time this season in the 5,000-foot altitude of Fort Collins at Colorado State (6-5, 4-3 MW).
The Rams are coming off a 59-52 shootout loss in overtime against the Boise State Broncos, while the Spartans are coming off another embarrassing conference loss at Nevada.
After having a 28-3 lead end in an overtime loss, and its third straight loss, Colorado State has much more to play for than the Spartans, as its contending for a fifth-straight bowl game.
This week for SJSU it won’t be as much about stopping the run as it is stopping wide receiver Michael Gallup.
Gallup is arguably the best receiver in the nation, sitting at third in receptions (87) and first in receiving yards (1298).
“Gallup is the best receiver in our conference,” said head coach Brent Brennan earlier in the week. “He’s incredibly dynamic, strong, explosive, changes direction.”
The senior wide receiver is one of 19 upperclassmen on the Rams’ starting 22.
“They’re [a] very mature football team,” Brennan said. “They’ve played a lot of football. They know what it’s all about.”
Maybe it’s unfair that a Spartan team, which has started 23 freshmen in 11 games this season, has to go up against a team overloaded with juniors and seniors, but that’s football.
“It’s frustrating when you work your tails off and you don’t get the results you want, but our kids are invested,” Brennan said.
Spartan linebacker Frank Ginda, who leads college football with 152 tackles, is just seven tackles away from Keith Smith’s 2013 tackle mark and 11 away from breaking New Mexico’s Carmen Messina’s 2009 Mountain West record.
It’s a lot of tackles against a great Colorado State team, but for the arrogant, saucy and 13.8 tackles-per-game ball swarmer Ginda is, it’s feasible.
“It’s gonna mean the world, ” Ginda said. “Everything I work hard for is right here in front of me. The only person that’s gonna beat me is the person in the mirror. ”
Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.